The dangerous, decades-long arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War begged a fundamental question: how did these superpowers actually plan to survive a nuclear strike? In Armageddon Insurance, the first historical account of Soviet civil defense and a pioneering reappraisal of its American counterpart, Edward M. Geist compares how the two superpowers tried, and mostly failed, to reinforce their societies to withstand the ultimate catastrophe. Drawing on previously unexamined documents from archives in America, Russia, and Ukraine, Geist places these civil defense programs in their political and cultural contexts, demonstrating how each country's efforts reflected its cultural preoccupations and blind spots, and revealing how American and Soviet civil defense related to profound issues of nuclear strategy and national values. This work challenges prevailing historical assumptions and unearths the ways Moscow and Washington developed nuclear weapons policies based not on rational strategic or technical considerations, but in power struggles between different institutions pursuing their own narrow self-interests. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781469645254 20190304

The gender-differentiated and more severe impacts of armed conflict upon women and girls are well recognised by the international community, as demonstrated by UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and subsequent resolutions. Similarly, the development community has identified gender-differentiated impacts upon women and girls as a result of the effects of climate change. Current research and analysis has reached no consensus as to any causal relationship between climate change and armed conflict, but certain studies suggest an indirect linkage between climate change effects such as food insecurity and armed conflict. Little research has been conducted on the possible compounding effects that armed conflict and climate change might have on at-risk population groups such as women and girls. Armed Conflict, Women and Climate Change explores the intersection of these three areas and allows the reader to better understand how military organisations across the world need to be sensitive to these relationships to be most effective in civilian-centric operations in situations of humanitarian relief, peacekeeping and even armed conflict. This book examines strategy and military doctrine from NATO, the UK, US and Australia, and explores key issues such as displacement, food and energy insecurity, and male out-migration as well as current efforts to incorporate gender considerations in military activities and operations. This innovative book will be of great interest to students and scholars of international relations, international development, international security, sustainability, gender studies and law. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781138205321 20190311

This book is the first history of UK economic intelligence and offers a new perspective on the evolution of Britain's national intelligence machinery and how it worked during the Cold War. British economic intelligence has a longer pedigree than the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and was the vanguard of intelligence coordination in Whitehall, yet it remains a missing field in intelligence studies. This book is the first history of this core government capability and shows how central it was to the post-war evolution of Whitehall's national intelligence machinery. It places special emphasis on the Joint Intelligence Bureau and Defence Intelligence Staff - two vital organisations in the Ministry of Defence underpinning the whole Whitehall intelligence edifice, but almost totally ignored by historians. Intelligence in Whitehall was not conducted in a parallel universe. This contrasts with the conventional wisdom which accepts the uniqueness of intelligence as a government activity and is symbolised by the historical profile of the JIC. The study draws on the official archives to show that the mantra of the existence of a semi-autonomous UK intelligence community cannot be sustained against the historical evidence of government departments using the machinery of government to advance their traditional priorities. Rivalries within and between agencies and departments, and their determination to resist any central encroachment on their authority, emasculated a truly professional multi-skilled capability in Whitehall at the very moment when it was needed to address emerging global economic issues. This book will be of much interest to students of British government and politics, intelligence studies, defence studies, security studies and international relations in general. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781138658288 20180820

The idea that war is sometimes justified is deeply embedded in public consciousness. But it is only credible so long as we believe that the ethical standards of just war are in fact realizable in practice. In this engaging book, Christopher Finlay elucidates the assumptions underlying just war theory and defends them from a range of objections, arguing that it is a regrettable but necessary reflection of the moral realities of international politics. Using a range of historical and contemporary examples, he demonstrates the necessity of employing the theory on the basis of careful moral appraisal of real-life political landscapes and striking a balance between theoretical ideals and the practical realities of conflict. This book will be a crucial guide to the complexities of just war theory for all students and scholars of the ethics and political theory of war. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781509526536 20190114

First edition. - New York, NY : William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2019]

Description

Book — xvii, 318 pages ; 24 cm

Summary

Strategic Atrophy

Why Do We Get War Wrong?

Rule

1: Conventional War is Dead

Rule

2: Technology Will Not Save Us

There Is No Such Thing as War or Peace

Both Coexist, Always

Rule

4: Hearts and Minds Do Not Matter

Rule

5: The Best Weapons Do Not Fire Bullets

Rule

6: Mercenaries Will Return

Rule

7: New Types of World Powers Will Rule

Rule

8: There Will Be Wars Without States

Rule

9: Shadow Wars Will Dominate

Rule

10: Victory Is Fungible

Winning the Future.

"The author of Shadow War, a veteran with deep experience--as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper, private contractor, and professor of war studies at the National Defense University--delivers a highly provocative, even controversial, exploration of modern warfare and what we must do to win in the futureWar is timeless. Some things change--weapons, tactics, technology, leadership, objectives--but the propensity for humans to do battle does not. Today, more than eighty years after World War II and thirty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, we are again living in dangerous times. It is the age of Durable Disorder--a period of unrest created by numerous factors: China's rise, Russia's resurgence, America's retreat, the Middle East aflame, global terrorism, international criminal empires, climate change, dwindling natural resources, and bloody civil wars. The number of armed conflicts being waged has doubled since World War II, and of the approximately 194 countries of the world, nearly half are involved in some form of armed conflict. Millions of have been killed and millions more have become refugees, upending Western democracies. This devastating turmoil has given rise to difficult questions that hold meaning for us today and in the years to come. What is the future of war? Who and how will people fight? What factors will lead to warfare? How can we survive? If Americans are drawn into major armed conflict, can we win? In this thorough, insightful analysis, Sean McFate--a modern heir to Carl von Clausewitz, author of the classic On War--carefully constructs ten rules for the future of military engagement, explaining how to fight and win in an age of entropy and a global system very different from the past: one where corporations, mercenaries, and rogue states have more power and 'nation states' have less. McFate's new rules distill the essence of war, describing what it is in the real world, not what we believe or wish it to be: Rule 1: Conventional War is Dead Rule 2: Technology Will Not Save Us Rule 3: There Is No Such Thing as War or Peace--Both Coexist, Always Rule 4: Hearts and Minds Do Not Matter Rule 5: The Best Kind of Weapons Do Not Fire Bullets Rule 6: Mercenaries Will Return Rule 7: New Types of Actors Will Rule Rule 8: There Will Be Wars Without States Rule 9: Shadow Wars Will Dominate Rule 10: Victory is Fungible Some of these principles are ancient, others are new, but all will permanently shape war now and in the future. By following them he argues, we can prevail. But if we do not, terrorists, rogue states, and others who do not fight conventionally will succeed--and rule the world"-- Provided by publisher.

This handbook explores a diverse range of artistic and cultural responses to modern conflict, from Mons in the First World War to Kabul in the twenty-first century. With over thirty chapters from an international range of contributors, ranging from the UK to the US and Australia, and working across history, art, literature, and media, it offers a significant interdisciplinary contribution to the study of modern war, and our artistic and cultural responses to it. The handbook is divided into three parts. The first part explores how communities and individuals responded to loss and grief by using art and culture to assimilate the experience as an act of survival and resilience. The second part explores how conflict exerts a powerful influence on the expression and formation of both individual, group, racial, cultural and national identities and the role played by art, literature, and education in this process. The third part moves beyond the actual experience of conflict and its connection with issues of identity to explore how individuals and society have made use of art and culture to commemorate the war. In this way, it offers a unique breadth of vision and perspective, to explore how conflicts have been both represented and remembered since the early twentieth century. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9783319969855 20190129

The US Military Academy trained officers for both sides in the American Civil War. The Commandant of Cadets played an important role in this education by overseeing the Corps of Cadets' drills and tactical instruction. Historians criticize the tactical program as antiquated because it did not consider the impact of rifled weapons, the unique American terrain, and suitability of Napoleonic tactics and strategy. Much of this blame is due to confusion between strategy and tactics and differences between minor tactics and grand tactics. The Army assigned sixteen officers as commandants between 1817 to 1864. Their impact on cadets and tactical education varied based on the amount of time as commandant and their attitude about the assignment. These commandants made changes to the program, developed new textbooks, and taught many cadets who became Civil War generals. Historians have generally ignored the roles of the commandants despite their major influence on cadets. Readers who want a better understanding of antebellum military training will appreciate discussions about preparing cadets to become officers. The biographies of the forgotten men who influenced future officers present an account of the commandant's contributions to the Academy, notable graduates, and other military service. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781476674254 20190204

9. The Business of Defense: The People's Liberation Army and Defense-Industrial Development in China, Kenneth Boutin.

(source: Nielsen Book Data)

This edited volume examines the recalibration of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) roles and missions in China's domestic and foreign policymaking since Xi Jinping's ascension to power in late 2012. This book explores how China's growing military prowess, along with Beijing's ongoing shift away from "keeping a low profile, " owes much to the policies of the China's Communist Party under Xi Jinping's leadership. The chapters in the book share a central theme: the recalibration of the PLA roles and missions since Xi Jinping assumed the trifecta of party-state-military power. These contributions seek to explore in depth some of the key issues and scrutinize the enhancements in the PLA's operational capabilities, both in terms of its hardware as well as its "heartware" - the human elements of its development such as operational culture and doctrine. In all, the chapters document the transformative change the PLA has undergone since the profound realization of its previous limitations vis-a-vis the United States' advanced military operations of the previous century as well as pointing to continuity amid change. This book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, Chinese politics, Asian security, defense studies, and international relations, in general. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781138612129 20190225

Robert Lovett grew up in Texas, went to Yale, and earned his wings as a naval air force hero in World War I. He played a key role in the development of the Army Air Force in World War II. His emphasis on strategic bombing was instrumental in defeating Hitler's Germany. During his postwar service in the State Department, he was influential in initiating the Marshall Plan, the formation of NATO and planning the Berlin Airlift. He served as Truman's Secretary of Defense during the Korean War, was a consultant for his friend Dwight Eisenhower and served John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Between tours of duty in Washington, he was an international banker on Wall Street. This first complete biography covers his life and career in detail. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781476675497 20190225

This volume explores the importance of technology in war, and to the study of warfare. Dr. Guilmartin's former students explore how technology from the medieval to the modern era, and across several continents, was integral to warfare and to the outcomes of wars. Authors discuss the interactions between politics, grand strategy, war, technology, and the socio-cultural implementation of new technologies in different contexts. They explore how and why belligerents chose to employ new technologies, the intended and unintended consequences of doing so, the feedback loops driving these consequences, and how the warring powers came to grips with the new technologies they unleashed. This work is particularly useful for military historians, military professionals, and policymakers who study and face analogous situations.

"The founder of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons program, aka "TOPGUN," shares the untold story of how he and eight other young pilots revolutionized the art of aerial combat and created the center for excellence and incubator of leadership that thrives to this day."--Provided by publisher.

"This book provides an invaluable perspective on the causes of war, drawing on a thoughtful consideration of what war actually is, the key foundation for an analysis of its causes. Jeremy Black also considers recent and current wars as well as likely future conflicts. He analyzes the three main types of war--between cultures, within cultures, and civil--emphasizing the social and cultural factors leading to conflict. He assesses the predisposition of ideologies to think and act in terms of conflict, the functional dynamics of international relations systems, and the strengths and failings of diplomacy. As an interdisciplinary study, the book draws on research from history, political science, and international relations and marshals global examples spanning the fifteenth century to the present"-- Provided by publisher.

Formed in 1916, the U.S. Army 31st Infantry Regiment-known as the Polar Bears-has fought in virtually every war in modern American history. This richly illustrated chronicle of the regiment's century of combat service covers their exploits on battlefields from Manila to Siberia-including Pork Chop Hill, Nui Chom Mountain and Iraq's Triangle of Death-along with their survival during the Bataan Death March and the years of brutal captivity that followed. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9781476669090 20180813

In this fascinating foray into the millennia-long relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist and "the world's best science communicator" (Times Literary Supplement) Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is strong, and the knowledge flows in both directions", say the authors, because astrophysicists and military planners care about many of the same things: multi-spectral detection, ranging, tracking, imaging, high ground, nuclear fusion and access to space. Tyson and Lang call it a "curiously complicit" alliance. "The universe is both the ultimate frontier and the highest of high grounds", they write. "Shared by both space scientists and space warriors, it's a laboratory for one and a battlefield for the other. The explorer wants to understand it; the soldier wants to dominate it. But without the right technology-which is more or less the same technology for both parties-nobody can get to it, operate in it, scrutinise it, dominate it or use it to their advantage and someone else's disadvantage." Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry and power that will introduce Tyson's millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world. (source: Nielsen Book Data) 9780393064445 20181105